Other subjects related to graphic design

How will your graphic design education stack up?

Here is some information to help you compare your graphic design education with graphic design education around the nation.
The US has 710 brick and mortar graphic design schools.

Top Schools

The top schools in the nation in 2010 that had graphic design programs were:

University of Pennsylvania - located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Southern California - located in Los Angeles, California

New York University - located in New York, New York

Student Demographics

In 2010, 13,490 students earned degrees in graphic design in the US.
Of these students, 1,408 received certifications in graphic design, 11,611 received an undergraduate degree in graphic design, and 471 received a graduate-level degree in graphic design.

Academics

Students can pursue education in graphic design at the following levels:

Associate's Degree in Graphic Design

Bachelor's Degree in Graphic Design

Master's Degree in Graphic Design

Certificate in Graphic Design

During the course of their graphic design education, students can hope to gain the following skills and/or knowledge:

Photography

Communication

Layout

Creative Thinking

Social Media

Cost

The average tuition at graphic design schools around the nation was $23,531 per year in 2010.
The graphic design schools that charged students the highest tuition rates were:

Carnegie Mellon University - located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, students paid $40,920

University of Southern California - located in Los Angeles, California, students paid $39,183

University of Pennsylvania - located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, students paid $38,970

The lowest tuition was charged by the following graphic design schools:

Appalachian State University - located in Boone, North Carolina, students paid $4,491

University of Utah - located in Salt Lake City, Utah, students paid $5,746

Texas State University-San Marcos - located in San Marcos, Texas, students paid $6,168

How will your graphic design job compare?

A large number of graphic design majors work as graphic designers after graduation.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 192,240 graphic designers working in the US in 2010.
The largest populations of graphic designers are in the following states:

California - 26,390 Graphic Designers

New York - 18,970 Graphic Designers

Florida - 11,160 Graphic Designers

Projected Growth

The number of graphic designers is expected to grow the fastest in the following states:

Utah - 18%

Virginia - 15%

Idaho - 14%

Salary

A graphic designer in the US earns $45,735 per year on average.
However, factors such as your employer, location, or shift differentials can cause the salary for a graphic designer to vary greatly.
Approximately 10 percent of graphic designers earn less than $15,740 per year, while another 10 percent earn more than $128,280 per year.
The following states have the highest average salaries for a graphic designer:

Washington DC - $66,020 per year

New York - $57,510 per year

California - $57,240 per year

Graphic designers in the following states make the lowest salaries on average: